Your Trusted Hvac Specialists
At Fire ‘n’ Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc., were committed to offering outstanding heating and cooling repair, replacement, and tune-up services to the residents of Downers Grove. Our team is also highly experienced with indoor air quality systems, and we want people to be safe in their homes. We have NATE-certified technicians who receive ongoing training and stay current with the industry. Our focus on excellence has earned us an A+ rating from the BBB. Were proud to be a Healthy Air Expert. Our locally owned and operated company has been serving the residents of the area for more than 40 years. Give us a call at Fire ‘n’ Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc. today!
Maintain Indoor Humidity Levels
Since moisture is the root cause behind mold production, pay special attention to maintaining the humidity levels inside your home. It is recommended to keep the humidity level below 50% to prevent the growth of mold. You can use a dehumidifier to bring the humidity levels down.
Head to this article and take a look at the ideal indoor humidity chart.
Identifying The Presence Of Mold In Air Conditioner Ducts
You will probably smell a problem with mold before you see it. Mold growth brings a musty odor that some compare to the smell of a wet dog. If there is growth in the ductwork, you may be able to smell the stink in one room or several adjoining rooms. As the colony starts to expand, you may see evidence of mold through black, green, or brown spots creeping out of your air vents in the room where the ductwork attaches. You wont see the individual mold spores unless you have special equipment, and it can take a while before you see the signs. However, the smell often starts long before you see the damage.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Mold Odor From Clothes
How To Check For Mold In Air Ducts
Mold spores thrive in an environment that is warm and moist, such as an air duct. Thus, mold may develop in your air ducts if you have an excessively wet atmosphere with no ventilation or any space that traps moisture in your walls and causes condensation.
Mold testing can help determine if you have mold in air ducts. Mold is often confused with dirt or dust, and you could waste your time and money in the removal process. To confirm that the substance in your HVAC vents is mold, contact a certified mold inspector. They offer laboratory analysis of samples taken from your air ducts.
Besides a mold test, you can also use your nose as the fungus also gives off a distinct musty odor. When your heating or air conditioning is on, you may notice the smell. It will usually be strongest near the mold development vent. As a result, the scent may not be noticeable throughout the entire house but can still be detected in one particular room. On the other hand, the stench might very well continue to linger in adjacent areas and elsewhere throughout the structure.
Mold in air ducts that goes unaddressed for an extended period will absolutely spread throughout the rest of the HVAC systems. Eventually, you may detect the musty odor in every nook and cranny of your house.
How To Treat Black Mold In Your Air Ducts
If you suspect that you have a black mold infestation in your home, you need to call a mold remediation professional to inspect your home. The professional will take the steps to test for mold throughout your home. The inspection will verify if your home does have black mold, but if your home does not have black mold, it is also good to do because you can check to see if the mold concentration in your home is too high.
If the professional has verified the presence of black mold in your home, then they will tell you the steps to remove it. For the most thorough cleaning, the professional will have to remove the right components from the air ducts to ensure complete cleaning. The reason is to be sure that the black mold has not touched any other part of your air duct and remove the risk of cross contaminating other parts of your home.
Black mold needs to be cleaned thoroughly by a trained remediation professional because most conventional cleaning agents will not work. Remediation professionals are trained to use the most high-powered cleaning vacuums and motorized brushes to remove black mold from your home.
For example, COIT has the largest and most powerful cleaning equipment on the market we use high-efficiency particulate air vacuums and eco-friendly products to remove mold from your air ducts. Also, COIT finishes the job using air scrubbers to ensure and sustain the availability of high air quality.
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How Do You Get Mold Out Of Air Vents
The best way to get rid of mold on air vents is by hiring a professional. They will adhere to high safety standards, ensuring there are no hazards for them, your family, or your home. Plus, they use the correct cleaners that are safe for your vents, but most effective on mold.
However, if this isnt an option for you, we have some methods that may work in the meantime.
Before You Start
Other Common Areas In The Home Where Mold Accumulates
Mold can grow under the fridge by the motor area, beneath the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and on the bathroom ceiling and walls. This is especially true when there is no window in the bathroom and the only ventilation is a vent fan. Its important to make sure that the bathroom vent fans are working and exhaust the unwanted moisture from a steaming shower. Proper function of the fan should be a clear vent line and exhaust to outside of the home. Often contractors will just lead the vent to exhaust into the attic and can cause an unwanted moisture build up there which can lead to a bigger mold issue.
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Should I Replace The Vents/ductwork
Just because the vents are moldy, theres no need to replace them. As long as structural integrity remains, simple cleaning is enough. If you have a central AC system and the vents are moldy, take a look at the ductwork. Finding mold here a well is not uncommon.
If mold exists within your ductwork, theres no need to worry about replacing that either.
In fact, with a flexible mop and the cleaning solution of your choice may be enough to deal with it. You should know that if the situation is bad enough, you can call professionals in for ductwork cleaning.
Preventing Mold Growth In Ductwork
Now that youve cleaned off the active growth, you need to take action in preventing new colonies of mold. After cleaning, you can use an EPA registered disinfectant fogger to kill spores that may have escaped. You can also apply a mildew inhibitor to your entire HVAC system. Be sure to select a product that is specifically formatted for heating and cooling units and is registered with the EPA. This will limit the risk of applying an ineffective and toxic chemical solution to your unit and the air inside your home. If you dont take steps to prevent growth, you can have another mold problem within just a few weeks in the same area.
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Types Of Mold In Air Ducts & How To Remove Them Like A Professional
Molds are generally known as the organisms which are neither plants nor animals. Air conditioners are considered to be the most common areas that serve as spawning grounds for mold to grow.
The ducts and vents that help the airflow to every part of your room. It is really easy for mold to grow anytime because of the nature of the air conditioners. Air conditioners usually ensure a high amount of moisture in the air, which makes the environment damp daily.
Molds can be hazardous and are reasons for severe health problems. Air duct mold is particularly dangerous for children, pets, and unhealthy people who have a weakened immune system.
The main activity of molds is to break down decaying organic matter such as dead plants, leaves, or dead animals. No matter how perfect your climate is in your home, your air ducts are the ideal host to produce a wide variety of mold strains.
How To Know If You Have Mold In Air Ducts
Initially, it may be difficult to determine if mold is within your air ducts. Mold spores are microscopic, and most often if you can see mold it has already grown into a colony and spread throughout your home. Thankfully, there are other signs to be aware of aside from visual mold spots.
Odors – Mold can produce quite a noticeable musky smell. Most people have smelled mold at some point and can pick out the smell when it is present. If you notice a musky, wet, rotten, or musty odor throughout your home, there could be signs of mold in your air ducts. If the odor is stronger while the AC is running, it is even more likely there is mold.
Visible Mold – Seeing patches of mold in drip pans, around the air vents, or in the ducts themselves. If the mold is visible, surely spores are being spread throughout your home and it is imperative to get it taken care of right away.
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Symptoms Of Mold In Air Ducts
Black mold can cause negative health effects if its in your home. It can affect the respiratory system and cause uncomfortable irritation. If you have a black mold infestation in your air vents, you and other residents will likely experience some physical symptoms. Some physical signs to watch for in you and your family include:
- Irritated feelings in eyes, nose, and/or throat. Symptoms may get worse when AC is turned on.
- Persistent headache whenever you are home, but goes away when you go outside. If anyone in your household is experiencing this symptom, you could have black mold in your HVAC.
- Allergy symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes, or rashes.
- Nausea, fatigue, or dizziness whenever you are inside the home.
If you, your family, or anyone that frequents your home is experiencing these symptoms you could have mold in your HVAC system. Please contact a professional to check the vents.
Also read our in-depth article on: Black mold symptoms.
Custom Calculators With Homewyse Lists
Change cost factors, combine homewyse items and add items you create in a resuable pricing app customized to your business. Start with a popular templates below or build your own :
For a basic project in zip code 47474 with 500 square feet, the cost to Clean Mold From Air Ducts starts at $0.25 $0.74 per square foot*. Actual costs will depend on job size, conditions, and options.
To estimate costs for your project:
1. Set Project Zip Code Enter the Zip Code for the location where labor is hired and materials purchased.
2. Specify Project Size and Options Enter the number of square feet required for the project.
3. Re-calculate Click the Update button.
NOTE: *Input the total of the finished surface area AND the area of any openings enclosed by the finished area.
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Treatment For Mold On Vents & Registers
Not always does mold on the outside of the vents mean that there is mold within the air ducts. Often the contamination is limited to the surface area of the vent which can be treated with a non toxic fungicide spray. Homeowners might think to make their own mold killing solution out of bleach or ammonia but most health experts do not recommend this due to the toxic aerosols that can be breathed in. Ridding the vents of mold can be accomplished by purchasing a non toxic fungicide spray approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or better known as the EPA. If your vent is so constricted that the spray is not doing a good enough job, you may just want to replace it.
Sometimes when the vent is removed you will have a pretty clean air duct. So whats happening is that the moisture is getting trapped in between the supply vent and the ceiling thats allowing the mold to breed. The good news is that the mold issue is not from your duct work but simply limited to the area around the vent. For this you will want to remove the vent, clean it well, and reposition it so that it fits snug into the duct. Other times the vent will be pointing directly onto the ceiling that allows for condensation to accumulate on a specific area on a constant basis that will breed mold. First make sure the mold is removed from the ceiling and then redirect the direction to which the slats are pointing. You want them pointing towards the living space, not the ceiling.
How To Get Rid Of Mold In Your Hvac System
Despite regularly inspecting your system, you are still getting complaints about the smell , here are some tips you can share with your HVAC contractor for cleaning it up:
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Air Duct Cleaning: How To Clean Duct Work
Fortunately, air ducts are easy to clean with the right tools and know-how. A standard air duct cleaning will remove dust and debris from your ductwork. At Aire Serv, we use a four-step process to ensure your air ducts are cleaned thoroughly, each time.
Brushes, whips, and skipper balls are used to dislodge dirt and debris from the air ducts. The debris is then cleared away with a high-efficiency particle air vacuum or a vacuum that expels particles outside of the home or building.
Its important that property owners do not attempt to clean or remove mold from air ducts on their own, as it can be dangerous and may cause more harm than good.
Why You Need A Professional To Remove Mold In Air Ducts
It may not seem necessary to you to have a professional company like Rock Emergency remove mold from your home. The thing is, regular cleaning wont fully remove or kill mold and it will keep coming back. The professionals at Rock Emergency have been highly trained to safely and efficiently remove mold from just about anywhere within your home.
Being HAZWOPER trained and IICRC certified, we are the best force to call when you are in need. With 15+ years of experience in the remediation and restoration industry, youll only get the best services from us. Were in this business together, and we are here for you!
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How Can You Tell If Theres Mold In Your Air Ducts
As most parts of the air ducts are not visible, it can be difficult to tell if there is mold in your air ducts and whether you need an air duct cleaning service. Lets take a look at some of the most obvious signs that theres mold in your air ducts and that you need to call for professional air duct cleaning service immediately.
- Odors. Mold smells. Most types of mold are usually associated with some type of unusual or musty odor. It usually smells rotten, wet or stale. Its never a good smell. This is usually the first sign that most homeowners notice. Usually, the odor will only be present when youre using your air conditioning or heating system. Once you turn any of these systems off, you should notice a significant decrease in smelly odors.
- Visible mold. This doesnt happen often. Usually, most homeowners will not notice any mold and their home. However, in some worst-case and extreme scenarios, the mold may start to grow out of the vents. Youll start to notice visible mold in the ducts and in the drip pan. This usually happens when the condenser coils become clogged. If you notice any visible mold, you need to call a professional right away for air duct cleaning services. Mold spreads through spores. This means that theres likely a huge infestation by the time that you notice the mold.
